Electric time-switch.



J'PATENTED JAN. 15, 1907.

J. CHAPPEL. ELECTRIC TIME SWITCH.

} APPLICATION FILED APR. 25, 1905.

Attorney TEES cm, wasnmmau, n. c.

JAMES M. CHAPPEL, OF DALLAS, TEXAS.

ELECTRIC TIME-SWITCH- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 15, 1907.

Application filed April 25,1905. Serial No. 25 7,341.

T0 at 1072,0711, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES M. CHAPPEL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in ElectricTime-Switches,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric switches; and it relates particularlyto means whereby a switch. may automatically be opened at apredetermined time.

The object of the invention is to provide means whereby the moving partsof a clock or means corresponding to a part thereof may be caused torelease a spring or the like by which a moving part of an electricswitch may be moved to break an electric current.

My device is capable of use in various positionsfor instance, inautomatically cutting out the lights in show-windows which. it isdesired to illuminate until a late hour and then be extinguished withoutmanual manipulation.

The invention consists in the general and specific construction andarrangement of parts, substantially as hereinafter described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of myimproved switch-operating mechanism, showing by full lines the positionsof the parts when the switch is in position to complete a circuit and bydotted lines the positions assumed when the current is broken. Fig. 2 isa face view of the device. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the parts of aclock mechanism by which the switch-operating mechanism is set inmotion, and Fig. 4 is an end view of the parts shown in Fig. 3.

In the present embodiment of my invention I have shown as part thereof acomplete clock, to the moving parts of which. are connected means forreleasing a spring by which. the switch. is operated. It will be clearfrom an understanding of the invention that any equivalent means wherebya releasing device can be operated at a predetermined time may besubstituted for the clock mechanism. I have shown a simple form ofswitch consisting, essentially, of two pivoted arms insu lated from eachother and adapted, respectively, to be forced between a pair ofspringiingers to complete a circuit and to be separated therefrom tobreak the same.

In the drawings, 1 represents the bed-plate of the switch, on which arepivoted the conducting-arms 2 2 and to which are also attached thesocket-fingers 3 3, the arms and socket-fingers being adapted forconnection with conducting-wires in the usual way. The levers or armsare connected by a bar 4:, of insulating material, and to this bar isconnected the mechanism by which. the levers are moved into or out ofcontact with the sockets.

The switch-operating mechanism is arranged on a frame 5, adapted to beattached to a wall or the like adjacent to the bed-plate of the switch.

Attached to the bar 4 of the switch. by a pivoted connection is a rod 6,and the other end of the rod is connected pivotally to a spring 7. Theleaf-spring 7 is attached at one end to the frame 5 and is of such. formas constantly to exert a pressure away from the switch. The spring isguided and limited in its outward movement by a projection 8 from theframe 5, and on the projection is a set-screw 9, against which. thespring abuts when the limit of its movement away from the switch. isreached. By adjustment of the set-screw the movement of the spring maybe regulated.

The spring .7- is provided with a hookshaped detent 10, having a handle11 for grasping, and the detent is adapted to engage a retaining-lever12, pivotally mounted on an arm 13, forming part of the frame 5. Thelower horizontal portion of the lever 12 has a notched end forengagement with the correspondingly-shaped end of the detent 10. Thelever 12 is pivoted at a point 14 in the arm 13, and the verticalportion thereof extends upward and is retained by a lever operated bymeans capable of predetermined movement. A spring-lever 15 is mountedadjacent to the upper end 16 of the lever 12 and has a projection 17normally confining the lever 12 and retaining it in the position shownby full lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The normal position of thespring-lever is shown by dotted lines in Fig 4.

The lever 15 by its resiliency tends to move out of the path of movementof the end 16 of the lever 12, and any suitable means for confining andreleasing the lever may be employed. In the present form of theinvention I connect with the gear 18, by which the hands of a clock aredriven, a train of gears 19 20 21, so arranged and connected that thegear 21 will revolve once in twentyfour hours. The gear 21 is fixed on asleeve 22, which has a limited movement on a shaft 23 on which the gearis carried. The springlever 15 bears against one end of the sleeve,While against the other end bears a pin 24, projecting from the shaft.The surface is formed with a notch 25, having an inclined or cam wallwith which the pin 24 coacts, the arrangement of this inclined wall andpin being such that as the pin is rotated the sleeve 22 against whichthe lever 15 bears will be permitted to move a sufficient distance toeffect the release of the lever 12 at the predetermined time.

The shaft 23, carrying the-pin 24, is arranged to have an independentrotation and has at one end a head 26 for gras ing and at the other enda hand 27. By t is arrangement the shaft may be rotated to move the handupon the dial 28 to set the mechanism for the release of the lever 12 atthe desired time.

In the use of the device the handle 11' is grasped and forced inward,putting the spring 7 under tension until the catch engages the notchedend of the lever 12. The parts are held in this position, and the shaft23 is turned to bring the hand opposite the indication of the hour onthe dial 28 when it is desired that the switch open. The setting of thehand causes the spring-lever to ride on the end of the sleeve and bringsits end in the path of the lever 1.2. When in the movement of the partsof the clock the notch in the sleeve comes opposite the pin, thespringlever is free to move out of the way of the le ver 12, freeing itand allowing the spring 7 to move outward, bringing the parts into thepositions shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings, opening theswitch.

The lever 12 is of such a length from the point 14 at which it ispivoted, to the point of contact with the spring-lever that only aslight pressure is necessary to effect a locking, and very littlefriction is offered to the revolution of the gear, through which thespringlever is retained and released.

The operation in opening the switch is instantaneous, thus preventingthe formation of an arc between the parts of the switch as the latter isopened.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. An electric time-switch, comprising an electric switch, a spring-armfixed at one end and having its opposite end pivotally connected withthe movable part of the switch and provided with a detent intermediatelyof its ends, an intermediately pivoted lever adapted at one end to beengaged by said detent to hold the spring-arm under tension, a

clock mechanism, and means engaging one end of saidintermediately-pivoted lever and holding its opposite end in engagementwith the detent actuated by the clock mechanism at a predetermined timefor releasing said lever.

2. An electric time-switch comprising an electric switch, a spring-armfixed at one end and having its opposite end pivotally connected withthe movable part of the switch and provided with a detent intermediatelyof the ends, an intermediately-pivoted lever having a notched end to beengaged by the detent to hold the spring-arm under tension, a clockmechanism, and means engaging one end of said intermediately-pivotedlever and holding its notched end in engagement with the detent actuatedby the clock mechanism at a predetermined time for releasing said lever.

3. An electric time-switch comprising an electric switch, a spring-armfixed at one end and having its opposite end pivotally connected withthe movable part of the switch and provided with a detent intermediatelyof the ends, an intermediately-pivoted lever adapted at one end to beengaged by said detent to hold the spring-arm under tension, a clockmechanism, means engaging one end of said intermediately-pivoted leverand holding its opposite end in engagement with the detent actuated bythe clock mechanism at a predetermined time for releasing said lever,and adjustable means for limiting the movement of the spring-arm on itsrelease.

4. An electric time-switch comprising an electric switch, a spring-armfixed at one end having its opposite'end pivotally connected with themovable part of the switch and provided with a detent intermediately ofthe ends, an intermediately-pivoted lever adapted at one end to beengaged by said de-- tent to hold the spring-arm under tension, a clockmechanism, a retaining device for the opposite end of saidintermediately-pivoted lever, and means actuated by the clockmechanismfor efiecting the movement of the retaining device to release saidintermediatelypivoted lever at a predetermined time.

5. An electric time-switch comprising an electric switch, a spring-armfixed at one end and having its opposite end pivotally connected withthe movable part of the switch and provided with a detent intermediatelyof the ends, an intermediately-pivoted lever adapted at one end to beengaged by said detent to hold the spring-arm under tension, a clockmechanism, a spring-aim secured at one end and having its opposite enddisposed in position to engage and retain the free end of the saidintermediately-pivoted lever, and means actuated by the clock mechanismat a predetermined time for effecting the movement of said spring-arm torelease the intermediately-pivoted lever.

6. An electric time-switch comprising an electric switch, aspring-ar1n,fixed at one end, effect the release of said detent from thein- 10 a link pivotally connecting the opposite end termediately-pivotedlever.

of said spring-arm With the movable part of In testimony whereof I aflixmy signature the switch, a detent carried by the spriniqin presence oftWo Witnesses.

arm intermediatel of its ends, an intermec iately-pivoted level engagedby said detent to JAMES CHAPPEL hold the spring-arm under tension, aclock Witnesses: mechanism, and means actuated by the C. WV. FOWLER,clock mechanism at a predetermined time to l C. N. WALKER.

